While several bids for road materials and fuel were awarded by Mahoning Township supervisors Tuesday evening, four of them were held up for various reasons and not awarded. Bid awards that were delayed included the bids for 500 tons of 2A, 500 tons of #3 stone and 500 tons of #1 stone while a fourth bid for 89 octane gasoline was rejected and supervisors decided to re-advertise that bid for 87 octane gasoline instead.

The controversy over the fuel oil began when Supervisor Bruce Steigerwalt told the board he would not vote in favor of the original motion to award an 87 octane gasoline bid to Farm and Home Fuel Oil because the bid originally was for 89 octane. "Where did the bid for 87 octane come from? Did we ask for it?," he said.Secretary-Treasurer Natalie Haggerty reviewed the bid proposal and confirmed the bid request was for 89 octane fuel. She mentioned that when the bids were opened since Farm and Home was the only bidder for gasoline, she called them and requested a bid for 87 octane gas.Steigerwalt said he believed that even though they were the only bidder it was not proper to accept an alternate bid that way. "We have to readvertise this for the new octane," he said. Solicitor Tom Nanovic agreed advising the supervisors that the proper way to handle this if they want bids on 87 octane is to reject the bid for 89 octane and move to readvertise for the lower octane gasoline.Supervisor Frank Ruch moved then to reject the bid for the 89 octane gasoline which carried unanimously. Following that Ruch then moved to advertise bids for 87 octane gasoline and that motion also carried unanimously.The other bids that were held on road materials were due to a question also by Steigerwalt who inquired whether it really was cheaper for the township road crew to pick up the different types of stone from Hazleton Materials or would that extra expense make the closer Lehigh Asphalt the better choice. Haggerty and Chairperson John Wieczorek said they were still less expensive but since the numbers were not available at the meeting, it was agreed by the board to table the three bids until the rationale could be provided.Several other bids for road materials were awarded to Lehigh Asphalt including 500 ton, 9.5 mm wearing course FOB at $62.00 per ton for a total of $31,000; 1800 tons delivered to the township at $69.25 per ton for a total of $124,650. Also, 25mm base course 500 tons FOB at a cost of $52.88 per ton for a total of $26,440 and 500 tons delivered at a cost of $60.13 per ton for a total of $30,065. A bid for #8 stone with two percent loss by wash was awarded to Lehigh Asphalt delivered at a cost of $15.75 per ton for a total of $7,875.Also awarded to Lehigh Asphalt was 1500 tons of type 2 anti-skid delivered to the township at a cost of $14.25 per ton for a total of $21,375, 500 tons of 2-A stone delivered at a cost of $12.50 for a total of $6,250 and 500 tons of #3 stone delivered at a cost of $14.25 per ton for a total of $7,125. Additionally, Lehigh Asphalt was awarded a bid for 500 tons of #1 stone delivered at a cost of $14.25 per ton for a total of $7,125 and 500 tons of #57 stone delivered also at a cost of $14.25 per ton for a total of $7,125.Two bids were awarded for fuel oil to Farm and Home Fuel. The first was a bid for 5500 gallons of low sulfur diesel fuel at a cost of $3.4220 per gallon for a total of $18,821 and a bid for 3000 gallons of #2 Heating Fuel delivered at a cost of $3.3050 for a total of $9,915.All of the awarded bids were done with unanimous votes by the board.